Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Cool Yocheryl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Cool Yocheryl’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets; white-colored ray florets with purple-colored apices; and natural season flowering about October 6 th  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Cool Yocheryl’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Cool Yocheryl’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-typeChrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirableinflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good gardenperformance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofthe Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Soft Yocheryl, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 16,296. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population ofplants of the parent cultivar in December, 2003, in Alva, Fla. Theselection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence colorand good form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative cuttings wasfirst conducted in Alva, Fla. in February, 2004. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemumare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Cool Yocheryl have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Cool Yocheryl’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Cool Yocheryl’ as a new and distinct gardenChrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to        ligulate-shaped ray florets.    -   5. White-colored ray florets with purple-colored apices.    -   6. Natural season flowering about October 6^(th) in the Northern        Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar SoftYocheryl, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of        the cultivar Soft Yocheryl.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of        the cultivar Soft Yocheryl when grown under natural season        conditions.    -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were white and        purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar        Soft Yocheryl were light lavender in color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of theChrysanthemum cultivar Yoroxanne, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.11,982. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants ofthe new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yoroxanne inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and more mounding        than plants of the cultivar Yoroxanne.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than        plants of the cultivar Yoroxanne.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly smaller        inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Yoroxanne.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yoroxanne        differed slightly in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Cool Yocheryl’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Cool Yocheryl’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Fletcher, N.C. during the summerin an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices whichapproximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 29° C. and night temperatures averaged 16° C. Plants were grownin 15-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions and pinchedabout two weeks later. About two weeks after the pinch, thephotoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants usedin the photographs and for the description were about three months old.In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Cool    Yocheryl.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Soft Yocheryl, disclosed in U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 16,296.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of            about 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve            days at temperatures of about 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.            Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly            mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit,            about six lateral branches develop after removal of terminal            apex (pinching) each with numerous secondary laterals; dense            and full plant habit. Strong and vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 24 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 146C.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About            5.6 cm. Width: About 4.4 cm. Apex: Broadly acute. Base:            Truncate to attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses            between lateral lobes parallel to divergent. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Fine pubescence; veins prominent on            lower surface. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower            surfaces: 147A. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A;            venation, 147C. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B;            venation, 147C. Petiole: Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter:            About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: 147B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with            elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets.            Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage. Disk and            ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.            Inflorescences not fragrant.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower about October 6^(th) in the Northern Hemisphere. At            other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and            development can be induced under short day/long night            conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early            flowering habit; plants exposed to photoinductive short            day/long night conditions flower about 53 days later.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about four weeks in an outdoor nursery.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 27 to 28 inflorescences            develop per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About            1.2 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Towards the apex, 186C to 186D;            towards the base, 155D.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.7 cm. Depth (height):            About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 5 mm; inconspicuous.            Receptacle diameter: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle height: About            7 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to ligulate.            Orientation: Initially upright, then about 60° from            vertical. Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly concave.            Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Apex: Emarginate.            Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Number of ray florets            per inflorescence: About 170 arranged in about 16 to 17            whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: 155D. When            opening, lower surface: 155A; towards the apex, 186C to            186D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 155D.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 3 mm.            Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per            inflorescence: About 60. Color, immature and mature: Apex:            Close to 183A. Mid-section: Close to 182D. Base: Close to            157A.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 30            arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width:            About 2 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.            Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower            surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A.            Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:            About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 148A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:            Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: Close to 2A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:            Close to 2D. Ovary color: Close to 157A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and to tolerate    temperatures from about 0° C. to about 38° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Cool Yocheryl’ asillustrated and described.